Bath City's bounce back from a two-goal deficit at Street was a bonus boost for Romans boss Jerry Gill.

The manager took the opportunity to get more minutes into his squad's legs, as well as giving an opportunity to a number of academy prospects in the 5-2 triumph.

But he also got to see a strong display of attitude, as his side recovered from conceding two Dave O'Hare goals - the second shortly after half-time - to triumph, eventually at a canter.

Summer signing Adam Mann got them back into it on 51 minutes as he powered away from a number of defenders before slamming a 25-yard finish past Tom Punchard.

Frankie Artus drew City level, starting a one-two off his chest and coolly slotting under the keeper.

John Mills got the next two with composed finishes. He picked up the ball at the edge of the box for the first, and then robbed a defender before running through to provide a chipped strike for the Romans' fourth.

To cap off the night, youngster Sean Bird, who played the full 90 minutes in midfield, made the most of a good advantage from the referee to skip away from the last man and tally number five.

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"This was an extra game, really," Gill said. "It was always my intention to come down and play some of the youth team players that I haven't seen and some that I have seen, and then some of the fringe, if you like, that haven't got quite as many minutes as the other ones as well.

"Thanks to Street, first, for putting it on. It's better than us training, I've always said that.

"It was a good challenge for some of the younger ones first half - they're not a bad team - and on a really good pitch as well.

"I liked the challenge they had to deal with going 2-0 down, and then obviously when I've made all the changes and we've gone back to a so-called stronger team we dominated the game and deservedly won it.

Among the young players on display was James Ollis, who featured for the first at the tail end of last season.

Gill, a former academy coach with both Wolverhampton Wanderers and Norwich City, is open to giving younger players a chance.

"There'll be opportunities for them, I did it last year in the Somerset Cup," he said. "There'll be opportunities for those players to come and train, first and foremost, if they show the right application, work rate.

"First half, I said to them, it's a good learning curve, because if you don't impose yourself on a game with and without the ball, it becomes easier for the opposition.

"What I mean by that is we didn't quite press aggressively. I think you saw second half that's how you press, how you get on the front foot.

"What that does is it affects the opposition, you get the ball back quicker, and when we got the ball back we played to effect."

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He added: "I thought we were a bit nice in the first half. We played in front a little bit, academy football, and we didn't affect them going the other way.

"Then we started to run second half, and it's quite simple football; if you run and stretch teams, you'll be more effective and that's what we did.

"We went up to Ryan Brunt, who it stuck with tremendously, Millsy started going in behind, our wide players started going in behind and that's what a Bath team should look like.

"[The academy players] have come in on a blind night, we've stuck them all together and said go on, go and do it. It's great to have them with us and they'll learn a lot from that."

Ryan Brunt in action for Bath City (Image: Simon Howe)

As well as Ollis and Bird, there were places in the starting line-up for left-back Wayne Nderemani and midfielder Charlie Wiles-Richards, with a substitute appearance for Haytham Mimouni at right-back.

Goalscorer Bird was particularly impressive.

"I thought he was excellent," Gill said. "We saw him last year in the Somerset Cup and he's one that I need to have a conversation with.

"We invited him last year as well, but he's found it difficult with commitments for university in being back in London, so he goes back for his Christmas periods and we don't see him, and he's back home a bit for summer.

"We need to work out what we're going to do with him, because he's put in a really strong display tonight again.

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"Some of the younger ones will learn from that as well. I saw Wayne at left-back for the youth team last year, obviously we know about James Ollis as well. Charlie's gone in there and it's a difficult one for him on a physical night, but they'll all learn from that.

"I'll report back to Billy [Clark, academy manager] and let him know how they've done, but our main aim, no disrespect to them is minutes for the players for our squad and scoring some goals."

On Mills' brace, Gill added: "It's pleasing, John Mills tonight battled away first half and got himself a couple of goals, which I'm really pleased with.

"That seemed to push him on an extra yard then, he seemed to get a lot sharper, and that'll do him the world of good."

John Mills scored two goals at Street (Image: Simon Howe)

The manager's attention is already turning to City's early season opposition for the start of the National League South season.

The Romans host Dartford on the opening day, ahead of a Tuesday night trip to Torquay United.

"I'm going to go out Friday night and watch Torquay against Cardiff, start doing prep on that one," Gill said.

"We're going to get Dartford watched at Folkestone the week before they start as well; my scout Andy is going to go down and watch that one, and really put the fine detail and preparation into that week building into it.

"I guess we'll look then at the players, over the next three games, what we're going to do going towards that start on August 4. The good thing is we've got a game Saturday, a game Tuesday and then the same on the Saturday.

"It's important I start to look at it and get the fine detail down, into what we think may be the starting XI.

"If I don't go and watch them I'll be kicking my heels and you know me, my preparation is meticulous and I'll have to do it.

"I don't mind going down to Torquay to watch that, because I'll get a good idea of how they're going to be as well, so I'm thinking two games ahead."

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Kevin Amankwaah could be back, while Matt Richards could be checked on having missed the Street game with a swollen knee. Sean Rigg was given a rest on Thursday night.

"Any time you play against a League team, they're training full-time; it will be tough, they'll be fit, they've probably been in training two or three weeks already," Gill said.

"It will be a good challenge for us. It's always nice to get back to Twerton.

"It'll be focused on us again, what are our patterns looking like, and how effective are we with and without on the ball, like I said tonight, because the second half display, that's what we're all about.

"We still had a few missing, don't forget, and Saturday I'm thoroughly looking forward to another front-foot, positive, aggressive display from us."